


like hope turned inside out

by stuffandsundry



Series: xen·o·lith [2]
Category: Tales of Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28104960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuffandsundry/pseuds/stuffandsundry
Summary: the separation is false, a truth that cannot be unlearned.
Series: xen·o·lith [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059491
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	like hope turned inside out

Kor smiles at the scene of Inez's reconciliation with Silver. Maybe it's a bit weird to say, but he really does wish the two of them well. Sure, Silver did some pretty bad things, and he was plotting to do even worse, but isn't it nice? He's not unforgivable. He's not a monster. Even someone who's done awful things like Silver has can live to regret their actions, and work towards atoning.

It doesn't have to end bitterly, if you just reach out to someone else. Warmth swells in Kor's heart at the thought.

(...and... just maybe...)

_shhnk._

Incarose's blade cuts clean through Silver's back and out his heart, and Kor's so caught up in his own thoughts that it takes him a second to realize what happened.

She—

(She—)

She turns to him, delighted smile on her face like she has the right to be happy about what she's done. There's blood on the witch's cheek and it looks natural for her, for a killer like her and how dare she? Silver was going to atone! He'd given up destruction! He'd chosen the right thing for once and it's like that meant nothing at all, in the end, and it fills Kor with—

(hate.)

Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. It rips right through Kor like a tide, it closes over his head and leaves him without any air in his lungs. He picks up his sword and charges at Incarose, who's still smiling at him, with that damned face.

He'll carve that smug smile right off her, he'll tear her head off, he'll crush her for what she dared to do.

(in the end, this is what he was born to do.)

Kor doesn't even remember what the heck he does next, he just knows that one second, he's charging Incarose down, and the next, he's pinned her to the wall. She's smiling at him. Why is she smiling, when he's so furious? He's never felt so furious before— (no, that's a lie.) The last time he felt like this, he was facing down that traitorous bitch Lithia.

Wait, who's Lithia again?

(The woman living in the Spiria Nexus of that girl— that daughter of Iola.)

But— hold on, daughter of Iola, who— wait, is that— 

(Of course, I remember—)

Of course, he thinks, I remember that.

Incarose— dear Inca— smiles at him, and it's all he sees as he falls backwards, stunned.

He hardly remembers how he manages to land with both feet on the ground. The impact sends a painful shock up his legs, but it's nothing considering what's going on in his head. 

He stands up, slowly. Rises on limbs that don't remember who they are. His vision swims, and violent nausea strikes him. He can feel himself break into a cold sweat, bad enough that he just wants to lie back down until the world stops moving. But it wouldn’t be wise to show weakness like this, surrounded by enemies.

Enemies? Who are his enemies?

Beryl and Hisui are talking to him, simple-minded worms that they are. Disgusting, but it's not, because they're his friends— why are they friends? All they do is argue, and that's certainly not a common indicator of friendship.

Concentrate.

He squeezes his fists closed. There's something in his hand, right, that's one of the vessel's Spiria Shards. The last that she needs to fix her Spiria Core. The Spiria Core that Lithia is hiding in. And Kohaku trusts him, so she wouldn't know to guard against him, even though that thought makes him want to throw up, but that doesn't matter. All his plans will come to fruition right here and right now, won't they? He'll bring the Minerans back, even though they hardly deserve it, but most importantly, Fluora— Fluora?

He opens his hands almost reflexively. The shard flies home to the place it always belonged. As he watches the vessel's broken core repairs itself, his mind is millennia away. Fluora is… important to him. She shouldn't be dead. Which is why he'll bring her back, but Gramps always taught him that you have to respect other people's wishes, but she shouldn't be dead, nothing matters if she's gone except he feels fine, there is no hollow loneliness inside him, he just misses her like he misses Gramps. Gramps is dead too. It was his fault too. But Gramps would never have wanted to be brought back, so… would Fluora? For once, he thinks about it. She wouldn’t, he decides. So he shouldn’t, should he? 

He's not used to feeling like this.

This is odd, Kor thinks.

…Kor?

No… no, that's not—

"…Creed Graphite!"

Yes!

Giddy excitement overtakes him. It's been so long since he's been in a body— his own body… his own…?

…No?

It's so strange. He has Creed's memories, he knows who he is but— it doesn't feel right. Objectively, it is foolish to believe these memories are not his, but they also don't feel like his, y'know? It's making him dizzy.

He is… he. Is?

"Kor!"

Warm hands take his own, and he jerks back, revolted by the gentle touch.

"Kor," Kohaku says as tears start to streak down her face, her hands still outstretched and ready to intertwine with his. "It's not true! Tell me that Lithia's wrong, please! The Kor I know can't be Creed."

How dare she tell him who he is. He's confused enough that she's sorta not helping, okay?

"Then maybe you don't know me as well as you think," he says on autopilot, and his voice comes out harsh like he's back in the coliseum. Harsh and contemptuous and— and young. He doesn't sound so… like that. That's not his voice. That's not his voice!

"What did I tell you, you stupid girl?" His loyal Inca laughs, wild and victorious at his shoulder as she kneels at his feet. "My lord! Creed Graphite! Say the word, and I'll wipe these vermin out for daring to lay their hands on you!"

I'm not Creed, he instinctively thinks. It feels wrong. I am Creed, he tries.

Oh, that's worse.

Inca— Incarose is looking at him, waiting for an answer. The Organicians are yelling, too, especially that green loudmouth Hisui. Shut up.

His head throbs. There's too many people in here, he thinks wildly. Shut up!

Shut UP!

Hands move on some half-baked instinct, and Will energy thrums through the air. He doesn't aim at anyone in particular, because he doesn't want to hit anyone— no, he doesn't know who his enemies are. This can't be his body, he decides. Where's his body?

Right.

He stumbles backwards two steps and lifts his head, coincidentally meeting Lithia’s eyes. When’d she get out? Doesn’t matter. Kor never really met her, and Creed hated her, so she’s no friend of his. It makes it easy to be cruel to her, even if he’s uncomfortable about treating her so roughly. But she betrayed him first. So it’s… well, it's not alright. 

But he can ignore that.

(He shouldn’t. He really, really shouldn’t. Gramps would be disappointed with him, he’s sure, but Gramps is dead and there’s definitely nobody who will trust him after he pulled that stunt. So, Gramps… can you forgive him for being just a little selfish? Just this one last time?)

* * *

Sydan knows it’s cruel of him, but— 

He probably hates Kardia’s son. 

Of course he knows, logically, it’s no use blaming the child for what happened to her, but every Somatic worth his salt knows that emotions don’t necessarily make a lick of sense. They exist, regardless of what you think of them. 

…Much like this child. 

If Sydan could bring himself to, he thinks, he’d kill it. Creed definitely hasn’t had a chance to prepare another Spiria to jump to. And he's sealed tightly, with no chance of manipulating the Spiria he's currently residing in. Sydan can't even feel him anymore. This is it for Creed Graphite, Sydan feels in is heart. Sydan could end millennia of suffering right here and right now.

He should. 

You could argue that it’s his duty to do so. 

If he could just harden his heart, he would.

But— 

In the end, he can’t bring himself to do it. It’s Kardia’s last selfish wish, after all. All Sydan can do, in the end, is pray that when Kor grows up, he’ll be just as strong as his mother was— no, stronger. Strong enough to put an end to Creed Graphite for once and for all, heh.

One can but hope.

**Author's Note:**

> i didnt do the whole scene bc i feel kor is uh. in no shape to pay attention to any of that. this is the last of the material i had planned, but i do have more ideas! seeya!


End file.
